Draw sheet



Nov. 24 1925- 1,562,809

w. B. THOMPSON DRAW SHEET Original Filed Sept. 5, 1921 inventor, 5 l -5 WlZ/iffi 7120123011011 Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Application nled September 8,1981, Serial Io. 408,878. Renewed February 28, 1924.

'10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIE B. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draw Sheets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hospital utilities,

1 and particularly to draw sheets which are pose which will always lie smooth upon the intended for use upon beds of surgical patients.

It is an important object of my invention to provide a draw sheet for the above purbed and be comfortable for the atient.

A further object is to provi e a draw sheet having incorporated therein means for elevating the back of the patient from the bed proper.

where it is placed.

A further object is to provide a draw sheet which. may be quickly and conveniently attached to bed frame members and which when attached will remain in the position Other objects may be ascertained from a study of the accompanying drawings, wherein my invention is illustrated in a form now preferred by me, and of the following specification and the claims terminating the same.

My invention comprises those novel parts and combinations thereof which are shown in the accompanyin drawings, described in the specification an particularly defined by the claims terminating the same.

in itself is very tiring and disturbing to thenervous system of the patient but if it is complicated b wrinkling of the bed clothing upon which he lies, his nervous and physical discomfort is greatly increased; With ordinary bed clothing now in use it is impossible to relieve the patients distress without seriously disturbing his wound, and consequently he is left to suffer. By the use of my device it is possible to relieve the patient from the strain of lying continuously upon his back, and this without disturbing him in the slightest. It will also prevent ltll e wrinkling of the bed clothes beneath The principal part of my device comprises a draw sheet 1, which is preferably made of a rubberized fabric material. This is preferably of a width'to cover the entire bed, but need be only of a len h to lie beneath the body of the atient, a though it may be made longer if esired. Preferably means are provided along the edges of the sheet 1 to hold it in place by fastening it to the bed. Such means are shown as a plurality of pairs of straps, each pair comprising the straps 2 and 3. Each corner of the sheet has a pair of straps, and others may be provided intermediate thereof as may be found desirable. One of these straps, as the strap 2, is provided with a buckle 4 which is adapted to receive the strap 3.and to be engaged therewith at any point along the strap. The strap 2 ma be formed integral with the sheet 1 if esired and the strap 3 may be sewed or otherwise secured thereupon by one end.

The draw sheet so far described is placed upon the mattress or upon a cover sheet placed upon the mattress and is secured down by the straps 2 and 3 to a bed frame member such as the side rail 5. If desired it may be spring frame. The straps are drawn tight and serve to draw out the sheet 1 until it lies smooth upon the mattress. An ordinary sheet may then be placed above the draw sheet 1, this being re resented by the Figure 7. The patient may ie upon this and though be may move about, the position of the draw sheet 1 will not be disturbed, and the chances of wrinkling the sheet 7, which is tucked in at its edges, are thereby minis mized.

Incorporated with the draw sheet 1 is an inflatab e and elastic member 8, which is shown herein as a somewhat elongated ring of rubber. This ring is a permanent art of the drawsheet and is always availa le for use whenever desired. When deflated its attached to the side rail 6 of thepresence is not felt by the patient, but when inflated it serves to raise his body above the surrounding surface and in this way relieves his back from contact with the bed. A tube 9 may be provided, runnin to an edge of the sheet 1 and having a vzi lved connection 10 to which ma be ttached any suitable air pump for in ating the ring 8, the sheet 7 being first loosened at its edges. The air pump mightbe permanently attached to the tube 9, if desired. By reason of the provision ofstraps 2 and 3 the rin 8 may be positioned as desired'in the be and is always maintained in that position. It is never necessary to raise the patient to insert a support beneath him, for the ring. 8 is alwa s in position to be used if required. Further, there needbe no time lost in sec-uring the ring from the utilities room, as is the case where a separate ring is employed.

I do not intend that my device shall take the place of a mattress. It has not the softness of a mattress and is only for use as a temporary support for the patient. As stat- I ed above, the ring is always in position for use when required and may be employed without disturbing the atient in the least. This is avaluable consi eration in surgical cases such as are" mentioned above. The sheet and the ring being incorporated together may both be positioned at any desired point in the bed and-are sure to stay where placed The device is easily and quickly attached and does 'not interfere with the other bed clothing.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. As a new article of manufacture for the purpose described, a draw sheet having incorporated therein, inward of its edges, an in atable body supportin member, comprising two spaced elongate parts lying in substantial arallelism and in such proximity to eac 1 other as-to support the back and llPS of the patient upon opposite sides of the spine to relieve the spinal column of the patient of any considerable pressure, and means for anchoring the draw sheet to a supporting structure to resist its displacement with respect thereto.

2. As a new article of manufacture for the purpose described, a draw sheet having incorporated therein, inward of its edges, an inflatable body supporting member, comprising two elongated parts, adapted when inflated to project materially above the plane of the draw sheet, said two parts being interconnected, and lying substantially in parallelism and in such spaced proximity to each other as to support the back and hips of a patient along opposite sides of the spine to relieve the spinal column of the patient of any considerable pressure.

3. A structure as recited in claim 2 in combination with an inflation medium through which air may be supplied to the inflatable body for simultaneous y and equally inflating all parts thereof.

Signed at Seattle, King County, Washington,'this 29th da of August 1921.

WI LIE B. THOMPSON. 

